Happy Reunion
by Forlay
Summary: Rachel and Cassie are invited to Ax's birthday party, which turns out to be a very interesting reunion.


_Author's Notes: It's been too long since I wrote an Ani-slash fic, so here we go with my response to the Anirarepair challenge. This time it had to include flour, lipstick and a musical instrument. Some background_   
_info before reading the fic: It's AU, like almost everything I've written for the past year (can anyone believe it's been that long since the end of the series? I think I'm gonna cry. . . .), and in this fic Ax decided a few months ago that he was tired of not being fully accepted by the Andalites so he chose to make the humans his_   
_full-time people.___

**Happy Reunion**   
**By: Forlay**

Carefully, so as not to burn herself or drop the tray, Rachel set the tray of cookies on the oven rack then closed the door.   
"I did it," she murmured to herself. She blew an errant strand of hair out of her eyes. It fell right back where it had been, but she ignored it. "I, Rachel Berenson, have actually baked a batch of cookies."   
"You have one tray in the oven. I don't think you've baked a batch of anything yet."   
Rachel jumped back and saw Cassie leaning against the door frame of the entrance to the kitchen. "Hey, I don't see you helping out here. If I want to say I've successfully baked something, I will."   
Cassie laughed. "Maybe I should be helping out." She crossed to Rachel and brushed some flour off her cheek. "It looks like a war zone in here."   
Rachel surveyed the kitchen. cassie's description wasn't far off. Bags of chocolate chips, flour and sugar still sat out on the counter, spilling their contents. Sticky egg shells still sat out, and one had been crushed on the floor. And Rachel herself was covered with flour. "Okay, maybe you should have helped. But I do feel like I've   
accomplished something."   
"Making a mess?" Cassie ducked away from her girlfriend's playful swat. "There is one good thing from this: it proves it is possible to get you dirty."   
"Funny." Rachel carefully reached for the pile of spilled flour on the counter and scooped some up. "You look out of place in here. Come on, join the fun." She gently tossed the flour, which landed on Cassie's head.   
"Oh, now you're in for it," Cassie said, grinning mischievously. She ran for the counter to grab flour of her own, giving Rachel another chance to hit her with flour.   
It didn't take long for the mini flour battle to escalate into a full out flour war. When the flour in the bag was gone, they resorted to picking it up off the flour. They didn't stop until the timer on the oven started to beep.   
"Cease fire?" Rachel proposed.   
"Only if you'll give me one of those cookies."   
"Of course." Rachel grabbed the towels she used for pot holders and opened the oven. Cassie peeked over Rachel's shoulder. Both were surprised to see the cookies were perfect.   
"Shows you for doubting me," Rachel said smugly as she pulled out the tray. She set it on the stove. "And if I remember correctly. I let the cookies cool for a minute before taking them off the cookie sheet."   
Cassie gingerly pulled a gooey cookie off the tray. "They taste better warm though."   
"But they fall apart."   
"I don't think Ax would care if you gave him cookie crumbs, so long as they taste of sugar and chocolate he'll be deliriously happy." She ate the gooey confection. "Okay, Rachel, you did it. You have indeed baked a batch of cookies. Some of the best I've tasted, actually."   
"Thank you, thank you," Rachel said with a mock bow. She started gently scraping the cookies off the cookie sheet with a spatula, then setting them on the flour covered wax paper on the counter. "You get the present for Ax?"   
"Yep," Cassie said. "It's too perfect. Wait a sec, I'll get it." Cassie went back to the front door of their apartment and returned a moment later with a book. She waited until Rachel had placed a new sheet of cookies in the oven and had wiped her hands on her apron, which was rather pointless as the apron was as flour coated as her hands, before giving Rachel the book.   
"'A History of Dessert in Pictures'?" Rachel laughed. "You're right, it is too perfect." She flipped through the book. "And it has a prominent picture of a cinnamon bun."   
"Do you think I'd buy something called 'A History of Dessert' for Ax if it didn't have cinnamon buns?" Cassie asked.   
Rachel set the timer on the oven. "Half hour 'till the cookies are done. We'll need to leaven then if we're gonna make it in time to help set up. We need to get cleaned up."   
"You want the shower first?"   
Rachel grinned mischievously. "It'd be quicker if we showered together."   
Cassie laughed. "Okay, I can't argue with that impeccable logic."   
***   
Due to Rachel and Cassie's procrastinating in the shower, Rachel wasn't driving their car to Marco's apartment until forty minutes later.   
Rachel turned off the radio as she merged onto the highway. "Did Marco say who else would be there?" she asked.   
"He was really evasive about that," Cassie said. "Because I thought that maybe they'd be there, but he wouldn't do that. Would he?" Cassie shook her head. "Why am I asking when I know the answer?"   
Rachel pressed her lips into a thin line. she knew who 'they' were and even though she didn't have Cassie's perceptive abilities, she also knew that Marco would indeed invite them to a party. "He must have. That's why he wouldn't tell you."   
"This will make for a fun day then," Cassie said sarcastically. "Jake and Tobias. . . when was the last time we saw them?"   
"Five years ago. President held a banquet in our honor," Rachel said.   
"Oh, yeah. Only five years? It feels like longer."   
"I wish it has been." The tension at that banquet had been tangible. Rachel had just broken up with Tobias, Cassie with Jake, and neither guy had taken the news very well. Wonder if they know about us, Rachel thought with a glance at Cassie.   
After a couple of wrong turns, as Cassie was a horrible navigator, Rachel found Marco's apartment building. It was huge. Inside it seemed more like a mansion than an apartment building.   
"I keep expecting a butler to come and carry our stuff for us," Rachel whispered.   
Cassie giggled. "Maybe Marco has the right idea, going into show business."   
"You? Show business?"   
"Okay then, you do show business and we'll both live comfortably off your salary."   
"And you'll retire at the ripe old age of 22? I don't think so."   
Both women were laughing when the door of Marco's apartment opened slightly. "Hey, making people laugh is my job."   
Rachel and Cassie sobered quickly. "Hi, Marco," Rachel said. "Um, can we come in?"   
Marco glanced back over his shoulder. "Yeah, come on." He opened the door wide enough for them to enter. "I need to tell you guys something before you freak out. I don't need blood on my stuff."   
"Jake and Tobias are here, right?" Rachel guessed.   
Marco nodded. "They know you're here. They're not happy, but Ax has been completely bummed out lately, so all of you needed to be here. I don't give a damn about your personal problems."   
"We understand, Marco," Cassie said gently.   
"Yeah. But you could have warned us earlier," Rachel muttered.   
"Would you have come?" Marco asked.   
Cassie broke in before an argument could start. "Here's the present and food we promised."   
"Ooh, homemade cookies. I didn't know you could bake, Cassie," Marco said.   
"She didn't. I made them," Rachel said.   
Marco about dropped the plate of cookies. "Xena did something domestic? Call CNN!"   
"Oh, shut up," Rachel said. "Is there anything left to be done?"   
"Nope, you're late enough that you get to sit back and relax until Ax-man gets here. Slackers," Marco added with a grin. "Come on, I'll give you and the guys the grand tour."   
"Sure," Cassie said nervously.   
"Wait, Marco," Rachel said, grabbing Marco's shoulder to keep him from leaving the hall. "Do they know about us?"   
"What, the affair we had in back in high school? No, I figured let bygones be bygones - ow!" Rachel had hit his shoulder.   
"No, you idiot. Me and Cassie."   
Marco shrugged. "I'd assume so. I mean, you guys aren't marching in gay pride parades, but you aren't completely closeted either. Maybe if they lived under rocks they wouldn't know. But don't worry about it. Even if they don't know, they're cool about these things."   
"Except for the fact we're the exes," Rachel said.   
"Come on, tour's starting," Marco said. He grabbed Cassie's and Rachel's elbows and dragged them into the living room.   
Tobias and Jake had been relaxing on the couch, but noticeably tensed when Rachel and Cassie entered the room.   
"Say hello," Marco instructed. "Or don't. Let's just get through the tour without bashing heads on my new baby grand." He made a sweeping gesture to the baby grand piano that dominated one corner of the living room.   
"You play piano, Marco?" Cassie asked.   
"Nah, I just think it adds to the atmosphere of the place. It looks cool, doesn't it?"   
Marco led the group on a brief tour of his sprawling apartment. It was at least twice the size of Cassie and Rachel's moderately sized apartment. It really was too extravagant for one person, but that was just like Marco. The apartment was so large that they hadn't gotten all the way through the place five minutes later, when Ax showed up.   
"Marco?"   
"In the living room!" Marco shouted. They weren't, but after a quick dash from the spare bedroom that Marco used as his private video arcade they made it before Ax did.   
"How are you, Mar -" Ax stopped mid-word when he saw the group gathered in the living room. "What. . . ?"   
"Happy birthday, Ax-man," Tobias said with a very real grin. For the first time since Rachel and Cassie had arrived everyone was relaxed. After all, they were there for Ax.   
"Happy. . . birthday? You knew?" Ax asked.   
"I told them," Marco said, casually putting an arm around Ax's shoulder. "you've been really bummed since you decided to stay on Earth, so I figured what better way to cheer you up than with a birthday party and invite all the old gang."   
"I am very pleased to see you all again," Ax said formally.   
"Dude, this isn't an Andalite ritual," Marco said. "You're laid back at birthday parties."   
"Ah, yes. I have seen them on TV. Hav - vuh."   
Jake grinned. "It's been awhile, Ax, but it's good to see some things haven't changed."   
"Thank you, Prince Jake."   
"Don't call me Prince."   
"Yes, Prince Jake."   
Everyone laughed and whatever tension remained was gone. They gathered around Ax to off their congratulations, then Marco ushered them to the buffet table.   
"I have a schedule for all this," Marco explained. "Get the goodies, then let Ax open his presents."   
"There was no need -" Ax started to object, but Rachel cut him off.   
"It's what you do at birthday parties, Ax. You give presents."   
"Why?"   
"Um, I don't know," Rachel admitted. "We just do."   
When everyone had snacks, which were mostly desserts that were obviously catered to Ax's sweet tooth, they sat on Marco's designer furniture. Ax's eyes were already as wide as saucers from seeing the array of treats brought just for him (though he had so far restrained himself from devouring them all), but they seemed to grow wider when he realized the pile of brightly colored packages on the ornate coffee table were for him.   
"You know what do now, right?" Marco prompted.   
"Of course," Ax said. He picked up the top package and began ripping furiously at the paper.   
In less than three minutes, he had three of the packages open. Besides the book from Rachel and Cassie, Ax got a nice stereo and a few CDs from Jake, and from Tobias a dessert cookbook.   
Marco's gift was much smaller than any of the others. In fact, after Ax had torn off the paper, it looked like a jewelry box.   
Ax opened the black velvet box to find a small card laying where a string of pearls might have been. Ax picked up the card and read it aloud.   
"You are cordially invited, vite-ed, in light of your current lack of housing, to move, oov-uh, into Marco's apartment. A-part-ment-uh. Happy Birthday, love, Marco." Ax looked up at Marco, eyes once again wide with surprise. The other four Animorphs were also looking at Marco with various expressions of shock.   
Marco shrugged, as though embarrassed. "What do you say, Ax?"   
"I do not know what to say," Ax said.   
"A simple yes or no works."   
"Then yes, of course."   
Marco grinned and leaned back in his chair, obviously relieved.   
"Wait a second," Rachel said. "When did this happen?"   
Cassie smiled knowingly. "A long time ago. I suspected back in school."   
"That wasn't that long ago," Marco said. "Besides, it's only been official for two years."   
"Two years, four months, 17 days, five hours," Ax said. "Would you like me to calculate the minutes?"   
"No, that's fine," Jake said. He looked like he felt a little uncomfortable sitting there. Tobias did, too.   
"Keep it secret long enough?" Rachel demanded.   
"Just 'cause you and Cassie are happy being out doesn't mean we are," Marco said. "Besides, Ax has been jetting back and forth from here and the Andalite world, no one ever saw us, so there was no reason to be out."   
"But what about all your Hollywood girlfriends?" Tobias asked.   
"The tabloids exaggerate everything. They are all friends or colleagues of mine. We would just go out for a friendly drink, or to an awards show together for company. But the entertainment world thinks anytime you're seen with a member of the opposite sex, you're a couple. It's complete bull."   
Rachel shook her head. "This is very sweet, guys. Marco, I didn't think you were capable of being romantic."   
"And you're jealous that now you can't have me," Marco said smugly.   
"She'd better not be," Cassie said, putting a protective arm around Rachel.   
"Um, I think I'm gonna go, y'know, re-morph," Tobias said.   
"Sure, Marco said. "The nearest bathroom is down the hall, to your right."   
"Yeah, I remember," Tobias said. Actually, he hadn't, he'd been too distracted by Rachel's presence, but he wasn't going to admit that. He made a quick exit to the bathroom and shut the door soundly.   
After the door was locked, Tobias leaned back against it and let out a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. This isn't too awkward, he thought. Maybe Jake will have an announcement today, too! Tobias winced at his bitterness. He'd known about Cassie and Rachel, of course. He'd kept track of Rachel even after they'd broken up. At first because he still loved her, now because he regretted the loss of her friendship. But Ax and Marco. . . that was completely unexpected. Marco had been the world's greatest - or worst, depending on your point of view - skirt chaser. And Ax. . . well, Tobias had never known for sure, but he'd often used being distracted by a female as an excuse for not knowing some scientific fact or other. Then again, who knew what Andalites considered as a 'normal' choice for a romantic partner.   
"This is too much to deal with," Tobias muttered. He took a deep breath. Whether he wanted to or not, he had to deal with it. He had to deal with seeing the only person he'd ever loved clearly happy with someone else, and he had to deal with two of his best guy friends moving in together out of more than convenience. "Today just isn't my day." But he had to keep on fooling the others, so after a quick morph, Tobias went back to the living room.   
Marco had moved to sit next to Ax while Tobias had been in the bathroom. A move Marco looked like he was regretting because Ax had lost his restraint for the food. Rachel looked very proud, probably because Ax was devouring her cookies.   
"I told you not to doubt me, Marco," Rachel said. "I can make an excellent cookie."   
"But you should see the mess she made of the kitchen," Cassie said slyly.   
"Hey, you helped. You started the flour war."   
Cassie looked confused for a moment. "No I didn't! You did!"   
"Well, maybe, if you want to get technical," Rachel said.   
Jake was still sitting on the couch, alone, looking as uncomfortable as Tobias felt, but without the excuse to leave that Tobias had.   
"Ax-man, slow down on the cookies," Marco said. "I don't wanna clean up after you toss them."   
"Toth dem?" Ax asked around a mouthful of cookie.   
"Yeah. Toss your cookies. Throw up. Vomit."   
"Not this conversation again," Cassie moaned.   
Ax swallowed. "Ah, yes. I must remember there is a limit to the ammount humans can safely ingest." He looked sad for a moment, but Marco kept joking to get him out of it.   
"Yep, the cleaning lady charges extra for forgetting how much you can safely ingest."   
"So, um, Ax," Jake said, "where have you been staying since deciding to stay on Earth?"   
"I have rented lodgings at a place near here called 'Holiday Inn Express,'" Ax answered. "Free HBO, an indoor pool, and a continental breakfast served from six to eight."   
Marco grinned. "Ax got kicked out of there after the first day."   
Ax looked offended, he had nearly mastered human facial expressions. "I was not aware of the limitations placed on what one is allowed to take from a continental breakfast. Which, in itself, is a very misleading name -"   
"Yeah, Ax, we know," Rachel interrupted, "we humans are always choosing confusing names."   
"I am glad you are finally realizing this."   
Rachel shook her head. "I don't think I'll be able to visit often. I can deal with Marco's dumb jokes and severely impaired sense of humor, but if you're going to learn from him. . . the world is doomed."   
"When are you going to move here, Ax?" Cassie asked.   
"As soon as he can," Marco answered.   
"Then would now be an appropriate time?" Ax asked.   
"I think we can wait until the party's over."   
"I actually have to be leaving soon," Jake said suddenly. "I told Janelle I'd be meeting her, uh, soon. For dinner. You know."   
"Janelle?" Rachel asked. Cassie put a hand on Rachel's arm, trying to signal not to go any farther, but Rachel didn't pay any attention. "New girlfriend?"   
"Not really that new," Jake said with a quick glance at Cassie. "A couple years now."   
"That's good," Rachel said, nodding a bit too enthusiastically.   
"I'd better go, too," Tobias said. "Keep an eye on things. I don't like to be gone too long."   
Now it was Rachel's turn to avoid eye contact. All the tension that they'd agreed to leave behind for Ax's sake was back. The two former couples nodded their good-byes. Marco shook hands with Tobias and Jake and made them promise to come back again. Ax mumbled his good-byes, as he was again devouring Rachel's cookies.   
Rachel leaned back on the couch with a sigh once Tobias and Jake were gone. "That wasn't too tense."   
"Tense? What was tense?" Marco asked as he took his seat next to Ax.   
"Did you see how uncomfortable they got after you gave Ax his gift?" Cassie asked. Marco shrugged. "Tobias couldn't get out fast enough. I'm sure Jake wanted to, but he didn't have a legitimate-sounding excuse."   
"I think you're imagining things, Cassie," Marco said. "Those two are fine with Ax and I."   
"In theory, I'm sure, but it still came as a huge shock to them. They had a chance to get used to it with us, they haven't yet with you."   
"And finding out your best friend is gay isn't the world's easiest discovery," Rachel said. "Cassie told me before I knew about myself, so I was a little weirded out for a few days."   
"But you came around. So those two will, too," Marco said. "Right?"   
"I don't know," Cassie said as she stood up. "I guess we should be going too, if you want to get Ax moved in today."   
Marco grinned. "You have no idea how much I like the sound of that."   
Cassie glanced at Rachel, who was putting on more lipstick without a mirror. Cassie smiled slightly, amused by Rachel's small talent. "I think you might be surprised."   
"You are leaving already?" Ax asked.   
"Yeah, Marco's going to help you move in here," Rachel said.   
"Would it not be more efficient for you and Cassie to assist us?"   
"Well, probably, but sometimes you don't want help moving your stuff."   
"I wouldn't, nnt, mind the assistance," Ax said. "This party has been enjoyable, especially the chocolate chip cookies. Chok-lut. I would like to speak longer with you and Cassie."   
Cassie smiled. "We missed you too, Ax."   
"If Ax is inviting you, you're welcome to help," Marco said. "I'm actually not sure all his stuff will fit in my car."   
"You want to?" Cassie asked Rachel.   
Rachel finished putting on her lipstick, though how she knew she was done was something Cassie had never figured out. "Of course." She turned to Ax. "It has been too long since we talked. I'm sorry."   
"Hey, what about me?" Marco demanded.   
"I'm not necessarily sorry about that," Rachel said, winking at Ax and Cassie. "Come on, you two lead the way to Ax's hotel." 


End file.
